Improvement in convertible chairs



A. H. BRIO-K. Convertible Chair.

No. 223,109. Patented Dec. 30,1879.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED H. BRICK, OF WINGHENDON, MASSACHUSETTS.

HMPROVEMENT IN CONVERTIBLE CHAIRS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 223,109, dated December 30, 1879; application filed April 30, 1879.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALFRED H. BRICK, of VVinehendon, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Convertible Chairs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to convertible chairs for children or grown persons, and has for its object to provide an improved convertible chair adapted to be raised and lowered and used as a dining or high chair when raised and as a rocking-chair when lowered.

My invention consists in the several. improvements which will be described, and pointed out in the claims.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a perspective view, showing my improved chair in its elevated condition. Fig. 2 represents a side view, showing the chair lowered as a rocker.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures.

In carrying out my invention I provide a chairseat, A, of the usual or any suitable form and construction, and provided with a back, and also with arms, if desired. This seat is mounted on a supporting-frame, A, which has the following characteristics, viz: first, it is adapted to afford four legs to firmly support the seat at difiercnt heights; and, second, it is adapted to be folded under the seat, so as to lower the latter, and when folded it presents rockers, which rest on the floor and convert the chair into a rocking-chair.

The supporting-frame is composed of two curved legs, B, and two shorter legs, E. The legs B are provided with elevations or offsets B, rigidly attached to thelegs, and the legs E are pivoted at b to said elevations.

The chair-seat A is pivoted at a to the elevations B, the pivotal points bein preferably below the rear portion of the seat, as shown, and composed of journals or trunnions entering sockets inthe elevations, and formed on the ends of a stout cross-bar or round, a, which is rigidly connected, by bars or rounds a with the chair-seat. The elevations B are preferably of metal, suitably attached to the legs B, and the elevation of each leg may be in one piece, as shown, or in two pieces, one

for the pivot of each leg B E. The shorter legs, E, are connected at their upper ends to the forward portion of the seat by links F, which are pivoted to the ends of the legs E and to the seat, or to suitable projections P, rigidly attached to and depending from the seat. Said projections P may be used to support a foot-rest, B, when the invention is embodied in a childs chair.

G G represent adjustable braces, which are pivoted to and depend from the upper ends of the legs E. The braces G are provided with any desired number of notches g, which are adapted to engage with or bear upon a round, B, or any equivalent support or supports attached to the legs B, so as to hold the supporting-frame at any desired height and prevent it from folding.

The operation of the chair is as follows: When the chair is in the condition represented in Fig. l the frame affords four legs or supports, which are suiliciently spread apart to give a firm support to the chair. The height of the seat is determined by the adjustable braces G, the latter locking the frame at any desired height by its engagement with the round It, and enabling the frame to support the seat at various heights without adapting the latter to rock, and without varying the inclination of the seat and its back. When the chair is made for a grown person it can be used in this condition as a high or an ordinary dinin g chair. By disconnecting the braeesG from the round B, I am enabled to fold the supporting-frame until the shorter legs, E, are elevated above the curved legs B and the latter are in position to entirely support the chair and serve as rockers, as shown in Fig. 2. When the parts are in this position the braces G are held above the lower surfaces of the legs B (which I call "rocker-legs) by the round B, against which the upper ends of the braces bear, said round supporting the forward portion of the seat through the braces G and links F. To prevent the seat from tilting backward when the chair is in the condition last described, I provide a catch, 76, on the crossbar or round a, which engages with a round, R, extending from one of the legs E to the other.

It will be seen that my invention is practirocker-legs and their connection with the seat by the links cause the legs to fold in a reverse way from the usual folding or cross-leg chairs, the upper ends ofthe shorterlegs being brought near the feet of the longer legs.

My improvements can be embodied in chairs of different sizesthat is, for grown persons and for children.

1 do not limit myself to the precise form and arrangement of parts shown, and I consider that any modifications of form and arrangement contributing to the main idea will fall within the scope of my invention.

If desired, the legs B may be straight, or practically so, as shown in Fig. 3, so that when the frame is folded the legs will have an ex tended bearing on the floor, so that they cannot rock.

A modification is shown in Fig. 4, in which the legs E are pivoted to the rear or upper ends of the rocker-legs B and the seat is connected to the rocker-legs by pivoted legs B, which are rigidly attached to the seat, and are provided with trnnnions, on which are pivoted the rocker-legs at I). The seat rests and is adapted to slide on arcs B which are attached to the rocker-legs, and have their centers in the pivotal points I). The braces G are in this modification connected to the chair-seat, and engage with rounds extending from one are B to the other. The links E connect the legs E to the rear portion of the chair-seat. When the seat is moved forward on the arcs B it is brought into such relation to the legs B that the latter will serve as rockers, and at the same time the legs E are drawn by the links F above the rocker-legs.

I claimr 1. A convertible chair having a seat jointed to and movable or adjustable upon a pair of main snp 'iorting-legs, in combination with such legs, inwardly-folding auxiliary legs, fixed links for connecting such seat and anxilia-ry legs, and notched braces to engage the main legs to support the seat at various elevations, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a chair, the combination of a seat, A, having trnnnions (0 located below and rigidly connected to the seat, and a folding support ing-frame composed of a pair of legs, B B. pivoted upon the trunnions a, and a pair of legs, E E, pivoted to the legs B and connected to the seat by links F, the legs B B being curved and adapted to support the chair and serve as rockers when the frame is folded, as set forth.

3. The legs B, having elevations or offsets B, and notched braces G, combined with the seat A, pivoted to the rear portions of the elevations, and the shorter legs, E, pivoted to the forward portions of said elevations, connected to the forward portion of the seat by links F, and provided with bearings for the braces Gr, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence 01" two subscribing witnesses.

Witnesses:

0. J. Bron, S. R. NYE. 

